Disney History - Offstage WDW

The Coolest Tree at Disney World!

offstagewdw — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 18:06:50 +0000

The Liberty Tree is the oldest tree in the park! This 100-year old Oak tree was found on the property about 8 miles from it’s current location, it it the largest tree ever to be transplanted at Walt Disney World. It took careful planning and months of prepping to get this 38-ton tree to its new home. Bill Evans was one of Walt Disney’s personal landscapers, he was handpicked by Walt himself to oversee the landscape projects at Disneyworld; he was in charge of this huge project and came up with the innovative way to move this oak. Holes were drilled through the hardwood center of the trunk and steel rods were inserted to create a support for hoisting and hauling the tree with a 100-ton crane.

This tree now stands tall and grand in the middle of Liberty Square. It is decorated with thirteen hanging lamps which represent the original thirteen American colonies. The story of the Liberty tree dates back to Colonial Boston at the beginning of the American Revolution. It is said that the Sons of Liberty gathered under a large elm tree to protest the British Stamp Act. From that day forward, the tree became known as the “Liberty Tree.” It became a meeting place and was often decorated with lanterns and a yellow flags were raised to call people to meetings

At the base of the tree there is a plaque that reads: “The Liberty Tree – Under the boughs of the original Liberty Tree in Boston in 1765, Patriots, calling themselves The Sons Of Liberty, gathered to protest the imposition of the Stamp Act. In the years that followed, almost every American town had a Liberty Tree — A Living Symbol Of The American Freedom of Speech and Assembly.”

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Walt’s South American Goodwill Tour

offstagewdw — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 17:50:46 +0000

In the early 1940s, tensions were high as Nazi influence crept its way around the world. That is when the CIAA or Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs created an initiative called the Good Neighbor Program. They essentially wanted the Hollywood Elite to infuse Latin American themes into their films, creating a feeling of goodwill between the two countries. So in 1941, they approached one of the most prominent film makers of that time, Walt Disney.

Walt on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro

Excited by the notion of research for future projects, and in desperate need of a vacation, Walt agreed. In August of 1941, Walt, Lilian, and 15 hand selected studio employees (& 1 employee spouse) took flight for Rio de Janeiro!

Ready for adventure, the team, nicknamed “El Grupo” from a hotel bellhop, dived right into their research. Even though Walt was considered a Cultural Ambassador, he stated, “I set up a shop. Never went near the embassy. Didn’t go around the usual haunts of the goodwill people. I went right in.”

Source: The Walt Disney Family Museum

The group of 18 Disney representatives did not always stick together. Many of the animators focused on the local culture while creating concept art. Walt on the other hand was busy attending performances, meeting dignitaries, artists, reporters, filmmakers and more. Sadly during this time, Walt learned that his father Elias Disney had passed away. Required to fulfill his contract with the American Government, he had to continue the tour.

Source: The Walt Disney Family Museum

Disney’s ‘El Grupo’ spent a total of two months on their goodwill tour. Together they traveled through Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile.

Source: Documentary “Walt and El Grupo”

The tour was counted a great success! Not only was goodwill relations between North America and Latin America on the upswing, Disney’s group found inspiration for their future films, Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, as well as a documentary called Walt and El Grupo.

The films introduced José Carioca and Panchito Pistoles, two beloved characters seen today at Mexico’s Pavilion Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros located in Epcot. In a later interview about the films Walt stated, “It was one of those things that they (the government) thought Disney needed the subsidy, but you know, fortunately that little thing went out and it did a heck of a business, and the United States Government didn’t have to put up one nickel.”

To see more from Disney’s Goodwill Tour, check out these photographs from LIFE photographer, Hart Preston, who documented ten weeks with the group.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

You can also find the documentary Walt & El Grupo on Disney+.

The post Walt’s South American Goodwill Tour first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Disney Released 75 Short Films Within 10 Years!

offstagewdw — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:00:57 +0000

1929 to 1939 were busy years for Walt Disney Productions as they created and released 75 musical shorts named “Silly Symphony.”

Each short was under 11 minutes and set to whimsical music. Innovated for it’s time, the films would become known for use of the multiplane camera and their incorporation of technicolor.

Click here to read more about the multiplane camera.

Firsts

The very first Silly Symphony, titled “The Skeleton Dance” was released on August 22, 1929.

Three years and 28 shorts after the release of “The Skeleton Dance”, the first technicolor film was released- “Flowers and Trees”.

Flowers and Trees was entered into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2021 for its achievements using the full color three-strip Technicolor process. The film has been described as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

All the shorts were designed as stand alone stories without the notable Disney characters; i.e. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy… with one exception. Donald Duck made his very first appearance in 1934’s The Wise Little Hen.

Academy Awards

Most associate Snow White as Walt Disney’s first Oscar winning award, but the film did not win any categories. The famous picture of Walt with an Oscar and seven miniature statuettes were for recognition of a special achievement.

Disney’s first SIX Academy Awards actually came from The Silly Symphony Series.

Disney Studio’s first hit song, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” came from Silly Symphony number 36, “Three Little Pigs”.

The Silly Symphonies final film, “The Ugly Duckling” would win the 7th and final Oscar for the film series in 1939.

A List of All the Silly Symphonies

1 The Skeleton Dance– Aug 22, 1929

3 Springtime– Oct 24, 1929

5 The Merry Dwarfs– Dec 19, 1929

7 Autumn– Feb 15, 1930

9 Night– July 31, 1930 *release date was postponed due to the sudden departure of Ub Iwerks

11 Arctic Antics– June 27, 1930

13 Monkey Melodies– Sept 26, 1930

15 Playful Pan– Dec 27, 1930

17 Mother Goose Melodies– Apr 16, 1931

19 The Busy Beavers– June 30, 1931

21 Egyptian Melodies– Aug 27, 1931

23 The Spider and the Fly– Oct 23, 1931

25 The Ugly Duckling– Dec 17, 1931

27 The Bears and the Bees– Feb 15, 1931

29 Flowers and Trees– July 23, 1932

31 King Neptune– Oct 15, 1932

33 Santa’s Workshop– Dec 10, 1932

35 Father Noah’s Ark– Apr 8, 1933

37 Old King Cole– July 29, 1933

39 The Pied Piper– Sept 16, 1933

41 The China Shop– Jan 13, 1934

43 Funny Little Bunnies– Mar 24, 1934

45 The Wise Little Hen– May 3, 1934

47 Peculiar Penguins– Sept 1, 1934

49 The Tortoise & the Hare– Jan 5, 1935

51 The Robber Kitten– Apr 20, 1935

53 The Cookie Carnival– May 25, 1935

55 Music Land– Oct 5, 1935

57 Cock o’ the Walk– Nov 30, 1935

59 Elmer Elephant– Mar 28, 1936

61 Toby Tortoise Returns– Aug 22, 1936

63 The Country Cousin– Oct 31, 1936

65 More Kittens– Dec 19, 1936

67 Little Hiawatha– May 15, 1937

69 Wynken, Blynken, and Nod– May 27, 1938

71 Merbabies– Dec 9, 1938

73 Mother Goose Goes Hollywood– Dec 23, 1938

75 The Ugly Duckling– Apr 7, 1939

2 El Terrible Toreador– Sept 26, 1929

4 Hell’s Bells– Nov 21, 1929

6 Summer– Jan 16, 1930

8 Cannibal Capers– Mar 20, 1930

10 Frolicking Fish– June 21, 1930 *the next two films were released back-to-back due to production delays

12 Midnight in a Toy Shop– Aug 16, 1930

14 Winter– Oct 30, 1930

16 Birds of a Feather– Feb 3, 1931

18 The China Plate– May 23, 1931

20 The Cat’s Out– July 28, 1931

22 The Clock Store– Sept 28, 1931

24 The Fox Hunt– Nov 20, 1931

26 The Bird Store– Jan 16, 1932

28 Just Dogs– May 16, 1932

30 Bugs in Love– Oct 1, 1932

32 Babes in the Woods– Nov 19, 1932

34 Birds in the Spring– Mar 13, 1933

36 Three Little Pigs– May 25, 1933

38 Lullaby Land– Aug 19, 1933

40 The Night Before Christmas– Dec 9, 1933

42 The Grasshopper & the Ants– Feb 10, 1934

44 The Big Bad Wolf– Apr 14, 1934

46 The Flying Mouse– July 14, 1934

48 The Goddess of Spring– Nov 3, 1934

50 The Golden Touch– Mar 22, 1935

52 Water Babies– May 11, 1935

54 Who Killed Cock Robin?– June 29, 1935

56 Three Orphan Kittens– Oct 26, 1935

58 Broken Toys– Dec 14, 1935

60 Three Little Wolves– Apr 18, 1936

62 Three Blind Mouseketeers– Sept 26, 1936

64 Mother Pluto– Nov 14, 1936

66 Woodland Café– Mar 13, 1937

68 The Old Mill– Nov 5, 1937

70 Moth and the Flame– Apr 1, 1938

72 Farmyard Symphony– Oct 14, 1938

74 The Practical Pig– Feb 24, 1939

It is neat to see the progression in pictures from black & white to color. The original few had a very similar format with their characters and their movements, which is probably how they released so many in a short span of time. Many of the shorts can be viewed on Disney+, but you need to search by title of the film, and not “Silly Symphony.”

Are you a fan of the Silly Symphony Series? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section below!

The post Disney Released 75 Short Films Within 10 Years! first appeared on Offstage WDW.

The Mickey Mouse Club and The Original Mouseketeers!

offstagewdw — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 19:15:20 +0000

1955 brought the debut of The Mickey Mouse Club and the original Mouseketeers. The television variety show was created by Walt Disney & Hal Adelquist. It aired five nights a week on ABC for four initial seasons.

Hosted by three adult leaders, and 39 children, each day the show had different themes:

The show’s introduction was written by the main adult host, Jimmie Dodd.

Co-hosting with Dodd were Roy Williams and Bob Amsberry (seasons 1 & 2 only).

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Then came the adorable kiddos! While 39 children performed as cast throughout the years, only eight were present for all four seasons:

Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Annette Funicello, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien, Karen Pendleton, and Doreen Tracey

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The show was an instant hit full of dancing, music, and wholesome fun! Check out a clip of the insanely talented girls.

Born in the 80s, I never had the experience of watching the original Mouseketeers; however, I can easily envision myself crowding around the TV every weekday night to tune in. Just by watching some of these clips, it is clear to see why the show was simply adored!

Did you have a favorite Mouseketeer or themed day? Share your thoughts and memories of the show in our comment section below!

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Magic Kingdom by the Numbers: a Statistical Semicentennial Listicle

offstagewdw — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 22:53:27 +0000

In celebration of Magic Kingdom’s 50th Birthday, let’s take a look at 50 fascinating facts that make up the iconic park:

million fireworks used annually

resorts available on opening day

mountains to conquer

Dapper Dans

“it’s a small world” sung in languages- English, Japanese, Swedish, Italian and Spanish

lands

levels on Buzz’s Space Ranger Spin

Source- Pinterest

songs in Mickey’s Philharmagic- Mickey Mouse March, Be Our Guest, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Part of Your World, I Just Can’t Wait to Be King, Un Poco Loco, You Can Fly, and A Whole New World

acres of Utilidors beneath the park

minutes to relax on the Tomorrow Transit Authority PeopleMover

attractions you could ride on opening day, with the purchase of a $5.75 ticket book

Source: Disney Collector Archives

rockets flying on the Astro Orbiter

lanterns, one for each original colony, hanging from the Liberty Tree Branches

Source: Mike Billick WDW Magazine

ft park elevation, making it “two” levels

boats that tour the Jungle Cruise- Amazon Annie, Bomokandi Bertha, Congo Connie, Ganges Gertie, Irrawaddy Irma, Nile Nellie, Orinoco Ida, Rutshuru Ruby, Sankuru Sadie, Senegal Sal, Ucyali Lolly, Volta Val, Wamba Wamba, and Zambesi Zelda

Disney Main Street Popcorn Company flavors- not including the seasonal ones!

collection points for AVAC trash system- trash travels through the system at 60 mph to the large garbage collection area behind Splash Mountain

teacups spinning around

(October 1, 1971) opening day attractions: Cinderella’s Golden Carousel, Country Bear Jamboree, Diamond Horseshoe Revue, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Frontierland Shooting Gallery, Grand Prix Raceway, The Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Mickey Mouse Revue, Mike Fink Keel Boats, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Skyway, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Swiss Family Treehouse, Tropical Serenade, and the Walt Disney World Railroad.

Haunted Mansion Tombstones

minute Carousel of Progress show… perfect for a power nap

former attractions- Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management), Country Bear Vacation Hoedown, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, Mike Fink Keel Boats, Mickey Mouse Revue, Magic Journeys, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Pooh’s Playful Spot, Skyway, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, If You Had Wings, Mission to Mars, Delta Dreamflight, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, The Timekeeper, Stitch’s Great Escape!, Donald’s Boat, Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook, Mickey’s Country House, and Minnie’s House.

Source: Disney Wiki Fandom

Country Bear Jamboree Audio-Animatronics

karat gold weaved into the Cinderella Castle Suit’s mosaic floor

Source: DVC Shop

$ – Cost of a first haircut package at the Harmony Barber Shop

acres added to the park after the New Fantasyland expansion & refurbishment

different sized towers found on Cinderella Castle

mph- the max speed of Space Mountain

parades over the years

Guests are never further than feet from a trash can- each trash can is themed to the land and has a line of merchandising, like the phone case below

Space Mountain’s two tracks measure at 96 feet for the Alpha Track and 86 feet for the Omega track, making it longer than Thunder Mountain at 2671 feet and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at 2000 feet

flying elephants

Club – a highly exclusive club that has an annual fee of $15,000 and a one-time joining fee of $33,000

mph- The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train max speed-each “cart” can sway side to side

feet- max depth of Bay Lake, while the max depth of the Seven Seas Lagoon is only 14 feet

dining experiences

shopping experiences

tons- the weight of The Liberty Tree

The Stitch Audio-Animatronic was inches tall and had 48 functions, including walking

feet in length- each Electrical Water Pageant float

current attractions

The manmade “tree” of Swiss Family Treehouse is 90 ft tall, 60 ft wide and has fabricated roots that extend feet into the ground

WDW sits at 27,520 acres or square miles, with the Magic Kingdom taking up 107 acres or .16 square miles

On opening day in 1971, it cost a guest $29 to $ to stay at the Contemporary or Polynesian resort

The Hall of Presidents has audio-animatronics- there are not 46 because Grover Cleveland served 2 non-consecutive terms

Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel is number out of 89 created by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1917

President Lincoln’s animatronic has different functions

Located at Peter Pan’s Flight, Captain Hook’s pirate ship is feet long

Looking to the future- Splash Mountain will be revamped for Disney’s th animated film, The Princess and the Frog

magical years!

The post Magic Kingdom by the Numbers: a Statistical Semicentennial Listicle first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Disney’s “Super Cartoon Camera”

offstagewdw — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 10:52:13 +0000

For decades, Walt Disney Studios was a pioneer in animation, but it would be the invention of the multiplane camera that would truly change animation forever!

Early animation filming was quite simple. Animators would use a camera to film a two-dimensional background. It would make for beautiful shots, but there wouldn’t be any depth to it. As the camera zoomed forward, everything in the painting would appear to grow larger, even the faraway objects in the back.

An animator looks at a painting- Disney©

Animators wanted to bring the scene to life making it behave like a realistic piece of scenery. In reality, the things closest to you should appear larger while moving forward, while object in the far distance ultimately stayed the same size. In 1937, under the guidance of technical expert, Bill Garity, eighteen engineers would invent the Multiplane Camera, an innovated camera that split a paintings field of view into different levels. The camera measured at a whooping 14 feet high and needed five or six technicians to operate.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Separate levels or planes are used for the foreground (closest to camera), middle ground, and background (farthest from camera).

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

As the different planes were moved forward towards the camera, the background plane remained in place, giving the perspective of organic movement forward into the scene.

It took an average of 2 to 3 weeks to plan and shoot a single scene on the camera. This is because technicians experimented with different perspectives, proportions, lighting, and timing of a scene.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

See a clip of Walt explaining how the camera works from an episode of “Tricks of Our Trade” which aired February 13, 1957.

The multiplane camera was first used in the 1937 Silly Symphony, “The Old Mill.” This was a huge deal as the initial start of the short had the camera panning forward towards the mill and the final shot showed the camera moving away as to provide a sense of closure to the story.

Here is the initial scene:

… and the ending scene:

As you can see, that poor little mill went through quite a bit between the beginning and end! Fans loved the short and it won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject in 1938. Walt Disney Studies was also awarded a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award for the innovated technology! You can stream the film on Disney+ or watch it below:

After their success with “The Old Mill”, the multiplane camera would be used on future projects, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), and Bambi (1942) to name a key few.

The final Disney film to use the camera was The Little Mermaid in 1989 as the technology was surpassed by the newer CAPS “Computer Animation Production System” and other digital programs, which are used today.

Three surviving original multiplane cameras used by the Walt Disney Studios have been preserved and put on display. One cane be found at The Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank California, the second at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco California, and the third at The Art of Disney Animation at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris.

The multiplane camera located at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco

These three displays highlight an important part of animation history and show the sophisticated technology pioneered by the Walt Disney Studio. It is incredible to see how animation has evolved over the past 70 or so years. With how vivid and realistic films are now, it is hard to imagine how technology will shape the next 70 years for the industry!

The post Disney’s “Super Cartoon Camera” first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Jungle Cruise – Behind the Attraction

offstagewdw — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 13:14:22 +0000

Lions, tigers, and puns… oh my! The Jungle Cruise has become synonymous with the hilarious Skippers who helm the attraction, but few know that the iconic dad jokes featured in the ride did not make an appearance until 6 years into the attractions run. The Jungle Cruise was originally serious and informative, more akin to Walt’s True-Life Adventure documentaries.

Disney Studios made 13 True-LifeAdventures in which 8 won Academy Awards!

When conceptualizing Disneyland, Walt wanted an attraction that could take guests on a tour through the waterways of the world. He envisioned tropical jungles with exotic plants and animals.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The main problem? Southern California was practically a desert with 12-14 inches of rainfall. So Walt brought in two key individuals to make the attraction happen; Harper Goff, designer for the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Bill Evans, the architect who helped Walt landscape his backyard locomotive. Both men would draw inspiration for the attraction from the recent film, The African Queen, as well as other African & South Pacific aesthetics.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The Jungle Cruise will be the first attraction to break ground during the construction of Disneyland, so that the plants and trees could have an extra growing season.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Majority of the land that Disney bought held matured orange groves. Since the attraction would need dense foliage, a team went through and marked the trees they wanted to keep with a red marker. Unfortunately, the bulldoze operator was color blind and just about bull dozed them all! The trees they were able to save, were planted upside down because they looked “exotic.”

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Once the area was cleared, Harper Goff, Disneyland’s first “Imagineer”, traced the outline of the river with a stick. He then walked 10 to 15 feet across to do the other side!

Meanwhile, Bill Evans was having a hard time finding trees and shrubs to create the dense jungle appearance. He literally drove around Anaheim and went door to door, buying the most exotic looking foliage that he could find. Coincidentally, during the construction of Disneyland, Interstate-5 was being built. Bill would salvage trees from the side of the road that were torn down to make way for the interstate.

One tree in particular became famous among Imagineers- when Walt was purchasing land for Disneyland, he bought 10 acres of orange grove property from the Dominguez Family. The couple stated that one of the established palm trees on the property was a gift given to them on their wedding day. Walt promise to preserve the palm; and he did! The “Dominguez Palm” was placed inside the Jungle Cruise (was moved a few times during refurbishments) and has flourished. It currently stands tall and beautiful in Adventureland.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The grandson of the couple who lived on that property, Ron Dominquez, began working at Disneyland four days before it’s grand opening. Ron stated that his home use to stand where the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean is today. The 20-year was a ticket taker but would soon work his way to supervisor of Main Street, U.S.A., then supervisor of Frontierland, Adventureland, and Tomorrowland (not at the same time). Ron would eventually be appointed director of operations and in 1990, Executive Vice President of West Coast operations. He was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2000. Nicknamed “Mr. Disneyland” he served 39 years with the Walt Disney Company and was given his own window on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

As construction went on, Walt decided that although he wanted real animals to highlight the attraction, he knew they wouldn’t be as exciting as they would most likely sleep all day. Imagineers created mechanical animals and Walt brought in the special effects team from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to complete the final look. The technology was primitive but they were pioneering the animatronics as they worked. The animals were powered by oiled hydraulics and needed to be strategically placed to hide any mechanical parts that were exposed.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

All animatronics located in the water and the boats ran on a track.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The river is dyed a murky green to hide the track system. The famous Schweitzer Falls aka home to the “backside of water” joke, is the mixing station for the dye.

July 17, 1955 was opening day for the Disneyland park. In addition to the 28,000 people to enter the gates, 90 million viewers would watch from the comfort of their own home. This was an impressive number considering at that point there was a population in the US of 170 million people! All who attended or watched the ceremonies were entralled with the Jungle Cuise. It was dubbed “A True Life Adventure.”

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Walt had his own apartment in Disneyland, allowing him to spend the night whenever he pleased. The apartment located above the fire station on Main Street, U.S.A., was located next to the waterways of the Jungle Cruise. One night, the animal noises were not turned off, keeping Walt up all night!

Walt LOVED to ride the Jungle Cruise. On his first ride since the park opening, the Skipper was so nervous he put the ride on full throttle, making the 7.5 minute trip only 4 minutes long. After complaining, management put in alarms to ensure Skippers had the script timed with specific points. Today, Skippers use landmarks as their cues.

Staying true to Disney’s True-Life Adventure days, the original script was dry and educational (sprinkled with a few unfunny jokes). Several years into the park’s opening, rumor has it Walt overheard a mother say she would skip riding the Jungle Cruise because she had ridden it before. Disheartened by this, Walt consulted with animator and gag man, Marc Davis. Marc told Walt that ultimately the ride was not funny, so Walt tasked him with refurbishing the ride. Marc went in and rewrote the storyline, adding wit and new scenes with animals. Since technology had improved since the ride opened, Imagineers were able to do more with the animatronics, adding humor into the animals actions and movements. Marc also rewrote the Skipper’s script- he is the man responsible for the Dad Joke/Puns that the attraction is famous for.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Since Marc left his mark on the ride, Skippers have continued to add to the jokes Now the attraction script is like a menu- for each area, a Skipper can choose the jokes they want to tell, adding their own special flair.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

The Jungle Cruise family has grown, adding four more locations; Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland & Hong Kong Disneyland, and a movie. Despite the growth & adaptations, one thing is certain; the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland will forever be known as the original Disney attraction- filled with mystery, adventure, enchantment, and thanks to Marc Davis… puns.

The post Jungle Cruise – Behind the Attraction first appeared on Offstage WDW.

The Fox and the Hound Fascinating Facts

offstagewdw — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:52:49 +0000

Disney’s 46th animated film, is often under appreciated but has many fascinating facts!

At the time of it’s 1981 release, it was the most expensive animation production to date, costing $12 million!

Does Tod seem like a strange name for a fox? In Middle English, the word for fox is “todde”.

Before working at Pixar, director (producer, animator, screenwriter, voice actor) John Lasseter worked for Walt Disney Productions. His first work with the company was as one of the animators of Copper. He also worked with animator Glean Keane on bringing in computer graphics into the bear/Tod battle scene.

To save on time and money, Walt Disney Animation sometimes recycles scenes or sound bits. During the fight scene, the bear’s snarl is the same guttural growl used by Shere Khan (1967 Jungle Book) and the alligators Brutus and Nero (1977 The Rescuers).

This was the last production to feature work from “Disney’s Nine Old Men”. Ollie Johnston worked as the supervising animator for young Tod and Copper, while Frank Thomas worked as supervising animator for grown Tod and Copper.

Frank Thomas (left) and Ollie Johnston

24 animators created approximately 360,000 drawings, 110,000 painted cells, and 1,100 backgrounds.

Animator Don Bluth left early on, taking 11 animators with him. This was a big blow as they made up 17% of animators from the studio.

Up and coming animators who stayed and worked on the film were, Brad Bird (Pixar), Tim Burton, and Ron Clements.

The film is not considered Disney’s best, but it holds a special place for many children who grew up in the 80s! Which fact did you find most surprising? Share your thoughts in our comment section below!

The post The Fox and the Hound Fascinating Facts first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Ub- The Man Behind Mickey Mouse

offstagewdw — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 21:37:24 +0000

Born Ubb Eert Iwerks to Dutch-American parents in Kansas City, Missouri; Ub didn’t have the easiest of childhoods. After his father abandoned Ub and his mother (which he had apparently done to several other children and wives), Ub was forced to drop out of school to support himself and his mother. It was then at the age of 18 that Ub met Walt Disney, when the pair both worked at the same commercial art studio. After they were both laid off, the young friends decided to go into business together. The Iwerks-Disney Studio Commercial Artists only lasted a month when the duo both accepted jobs at the Kansas City Slide Company producing animated advertisements that were distributed around the country.

The two men were said to make the perfect team! Ub had the ability to churn out work at a phenomenally fast rate while Walt was the creative visionary and spokesman of the two.

Pictured: Walt (left) and Ub

Both Ub and Walt were ambitious and yearned for more. In 1921 when Walt created Laugh-O-Gram Films, Ub joined on as his chief animator. With the help of other up and coming animators, the studio create 12 cartoon shorts for Milton Feld, then pursued reimagined tellings of Aesop Fables. After two years the company went bankrupted and both Walt and Iwerks left for Hollywood.

Pictured: Ub (left) and Walt

The unstoppable team would not give up. After trying their hand in the unsuccessful animated live-action shorts the Alice Comedies, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was born. Unlike Alice, Oswald was extremely popular and the first true success for Walt. Unfortunately, Walt was pushed out by producer & distributer Charles Mintz. On top of that, Mintz stole almost all of Walt’s animators, but not Ub. Ub refused to work with Mintz.

Click here to read more about Oswald.

It was through the loss of Oswald that Mickey Mouse was born! Under the direction of Walt, Ub was the first to animate Mickey. In fact, he was the sole animator for Mickey’s very first cartoon, Plane Crazy. In a three-week period, Ub created up to 700 drawings a day! The average produced today is 20 a day.

Ub continued to be the driving force for the next few Mickey cartoons as well as the Silly Symphonies. Growing tired of the continued work without the deserved credit, Ub left the studio to branch out on his own. Backed by Disney’s former partner, Pat Powers, (the man who supplied the sound equipment for Steamboat Willie) The Iwerks Studio opened in 1930. Ub was able to gain a contract with MGM for distribution of his two new characters, Flip the Frog and Willie Whopper. While Ub had the talent and drive to create fantastic characters, he couldn’t find an overall narrative to tell. That was the part of his partnership from Walt that made them a fantastic team. Together they created gold. Ultimately, The Iwerks Studio never gained commercial success and lost financial support from backers. After exploring some freelancing work, Ub returned to Disney Studios in 1940.

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Ub would spend the remainder of his career working for Disney, mainly in the special visual effects department. He was the creative genius behind the combination of live-action and animation as seen in Song of the South and Mary Poppins. He was also the driving force for the use of the xerographic process used for cel animation. Years later, under WED Enterprises, Ub helped to develop many of the Disneyland attractions developed in the 60s, including it’s a small world, The Hall of Presidents, and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. His technical wizardry earned him an Academy Award nomination for his special effects work in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. By the end of his career, Ub produced more than 300 animated movies!

Photo Credit: D23, Disney’s Official Fan Club

In his personal life, Ub was married to Mildred Sarah Henderson from 1927 until his death in 1971 when he passed away from a heart attack. Together, the pair had two children, David Iwerks and Don Iwerks (a former Disney Executive). Ub’s granddaughter Leslie Iwerks is a writer, director, and producer who has done work with Pixar.

Pictured: Leslie and her father Don Iwerks (Ub’s son)

According to Don, his father and Walt never shared animosity from their falling out in the early 1930s. “…when my dad left Walt back in 1930, it was a shock to both Walt and Roy that my dad was leaving the company and going out to be a competitor. So one could surmise that Walt would never forgive him for that. But one of the wonderful things about Walt Disney is that he recognized talent, and he could put aside whatever he might’ve felt about my dad leaving the company, because he recognized what he had to offer. My dad never talked to me about any of that, but I saw the interaction between the, when I went to work there, and they talked just like a couple of old friends.” -Don Iwerks, A Son’s Compelling Tribute to his Fabled Father, Ub Iwerks 2019. Click here to read the article.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Eighteen years after his death, Ub was indicted as a Disney Legend for his work in animation and Imagineering. It is a shame he would not live to see the recognition he so deserved. One thing is for certain, Mickey Mouse and the Disney name would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for Ub’s loyalty, talent, and creativity.

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You need a bird’s eye view to see these Hidden Mickeys!!

offstagewdw — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 22:10:14 +0000

Have you ever seen the head of Mickey Mouse embedded into the rocks while waiting for an attraction or in the decor of your favorite restaurant? Maybe you have seen one in the sidewalk or in the carpet of your resort room. These Mickey Mouse silhouettes were no accident and known as Hidden Mickeys! Imagineers strategically place and design things to resemble the head and ears of Mickey Mouse! Not only does it make it fun for guests to find, it also adds a little bit of extra magic to your day! Hidden Mickeys can found throughout the parks, attractions, restaurants, and resorts. They can also be seen in films, TV series, and other Disney products. Now that you know, you will be begin to notice them even more! There are over 1,000 recorded Hidden Mickeys from a fan, but there is no official list or count from Walt Disney World to confirm or deny any Hidden Mickeys that guests spot, so it’s really in the eye of the beholder.

Hidden Mickeys can be traced back to the beginning of Epcot. Since this park was created to be more of an adult park, where alcohol would be served; Disney characters were deemed inappropriate to be ‘mixed’ with alcohol. In order to include Disney characters in the park but in a different way, Imagineers got creative and started to include Hidden Mickey silhouettes into various design elements. Since then, characters can be seen in the park, but Hidden Mickeys were popular and here to stay. They became a tradition moving forward and continue to be a special gem for guests to find!

Even though Hidden Mickeys are fun to find during your visit there are a few that are so grand that you can only see the from the sky! Check it out!!

Hidden Mickeys that can only be seen from the AIR!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The whole entire park was designed as a Hidden Mickey! This picture is a bit dated and the park has had many changes since then, but the basic park design stays the same. Here, Imagineers designed this Hidden Mickey to not only have the three circles to represent Mickey’s head and ears, but it also includes some of Mickey’s facial features in the design of the walkways and landscape placement. The bottom of Mickey’s head is the Chinese Theater and Echo lake makes up one ear. The other ear is the Grand Avenue area leading guests towards the Tower of Terror.

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom

Little did you know that you were riding along a Hidden Mickey as you take your seat on Expedition Everest! Imagineers took this Hidden Mickey to a new level when designing the track and structure of this attraction. Mt. Everest represents Mickey’s head and the tracks were designed to create the perfect Mickey ears to complete this Hidden Mickey.

Lake Mickey

Nestled in the middle of the Walt Disney World Speedway, Lake Mickey was built 2 years after the speedway, in 1997, after drainage issues were discovered in the infield.The Speedway closed in 2015, but Lake Mickey still can be seen from above.

Walt Disney World Solar Facility

This solar panel farm spans about 22 acres. Duke Energy is in a 15 year agreement with Disney to build, own and operate the farm on Disney’s land. In return, the farm will provide solar power to Walt Disney World. It is located just west of Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort near the east shoulder of World Drive and the intersection Epcot Center Drive.

Fun Fact: This is only one of the solar farms that Disney has.There is a newer farm of solar panels spanning 270 acres!!! This is the size of two Magic Kingdom parks put together. This solar panel farm is able to power two of the four theme parks.

Mickey Mouse Forest

In 1992, this Hidden Mickey forest started to take root. More than 60,000 trees were planted on 60 acres, just northwest of Magic Kingdom. Many volunteers came together to help plant and be apart of this incredible project. People flying out of Orlando airport can spot this Hidden Mickey as they take off or come in for a landing!

No matter how big or small, Hidden Mickeys are a classic treasure for guests of all ages to enjoy. During your next visit, see how many you can find and if you ever happen to be flying over the area, don’t forget to look down to see if you can spot these incredible Hidden Mickeys!

Source: Google Maps, Near Map, Disney

The post You need a bird’s eye view to see these Hidden Mickeys!! first appeared on Offstage WDW.